SECTIONS 11760-11760.4 - California Statutes

HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE

SECTION 11760-11760.4

11760. The Legislature finds and declares that problems related to
the inappropriate use of alcoholic beverages and other drug use
adversely affect the general welfare of the people of California.
These problems include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) Substantial fatalities, permanent disability, and property
damage resulting from driving under the influence. Crimes involving
alcohol and other drug use are a drain on law enforcement, the
courts, and the penal system.
(b) Alcoholism in the individual, which is an addiction to the
drug alcohol, with its attendant deterioration of physical and
emotional health and social well-being.
(c) Alcoholism and other drug use in the family with its attendant
deterioration of all relationships and the well-being of family
members.
(d) A risk of increased susceptibility to serious illnesses and
other major health problems that ultimately create a burden on both
public and private health facilities and resources.
(e) A risk of fetal alcohol syndrome.
(f) Losses in production and tax revenues due to absenteeism,
unemployment, and industrial accidents.

11760.1. The Legislature recognizes that any efforts to address the
problems related to inappropriate alcohol use and other drug use are
greatly hindered by:
(a) The stigmatization of persons who have alcohol and other drug
problems.
(b) Denial by the individual and the community, especially among
members of the professional community, sometimes referred to as
gatekeepers, regarding the nature and scope of alcohol and other drug
problems.
(c) Services that, if uncoordinated, often are conflicting,
inappropriate, ineffective, duplicative, and wasteful of limited
public and private resources.
(d) Actions and attitudes that encourage consumption of alcoholic
beverages in California, which consumption leads to alcohol problems.
(e) Actions and attitudes that encourage illicit drug use.

11760.2. The Legislature finds that state government has an
affirmative role in alleviating problems related to the inappropriate
use of alcoholic beverages and other drug use and that its major
objective is protection of the public health and safety, particularly
where problems related to inappropriate alcohol use and other drug
use are likely to cause harm to individuals, families, and the
community.

11760.3. The Legislature recognizes that state government's role
should be limited for several reasons including, but not restricted
to:
(a) State government should intervene in the activities of
individuals only where those individuals' inappropriate use of
alcoholic beverages and other drug use is likely to cause significant
harm to other persons, families, or the community.
(b) The resources available to alleviate problems related to
inappropriate alcohol use and other drug use are limited.
(c) Significant private resources, economic incentives, and
voluntary actions of individuals and groups in the community are
available and should be utilized and encouraged to preclude the
necessity for governmental involvement.

11760.4. (a) The Legislature finds that, in order to utilize
effectively the limited state funds available for programs whose
purpose is to alleviate the problems related to inappropriate alcohol
use and other drug use and to overcome the barriers to their
solution as described in Section 11760.1, the responsibility and
authority for the encouragement of the planning for, and the
establishment of, county-based programs and statewide alcohol and
other drug projects be concentrated primarily in one state
department.
(b) The Legislature further recognizes the department's limited
role in state government in trying to alleviate the problems related
to inappropriate alcohol use and other drug use because of both of
the following:
(1) The department's limited budget and staff.
(2) The important role played by other state agencies in trying to
alleviate the problems related to inappropriate alcohol use and
other drug use.